Magical Diary Alpha/Preorder

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#241 Post by **hanako** » Thu Mar 31, 2011 10:08 pm

Well, if you got that far and you're not tracebacking you might not be having the problem?

It depends on whether you got past a certain point (and saved there) before something else was changed a few patches back.

I'm not even sure exactly what the issue is, I never saw it myself, but he said some people have been sending in the same traceback repeatedly which has to do with this. New patches aren't going to fix that because the problem is in the old save, not the game as-is.

This IS an alpha! We've mostly managed to avoid having to start over from scratch (except for the Cute/Weird points thing) but keeping backup points is still a good idea.

Elze · #242 Post by **Elze** » Thu Mar 31, 2011 10:19 pm

I'm not sure. Will check later. ;A; -crosses fingers-
I started out with backups. Then I overwrite my backups when I start new games that have better management of stats. And then shit happens and I lose track of what's what due to bad titling. So I ended up only have one file per route lol.

It's ok. If the files are gone I'll just replay the routes. Good thing there's the skipping dialogue option.

gladi · #243 Post by **gladi** » Mon Apr 04, 2011 3:57 pm

Is there any reason to attend classes on subject once you max out? Is there any difference to having maxed a skill on your own or with use of items? Is there something good if I max all magic skills?

#244 Post by **hanako** » Mon Apr 04, 2011 5:34 pm

There are sometimes events that happen in specific classes, and when new spells get added to the game you have to attend class in order to unlock them. (I don't expect much in the way of new spells in the future, but it's not impossible while we're still in development.)

Relatedly if you get an item that brings you up to max level in a color, you won't get the spells associated with that unless you attend the class.

At the moment there's no real difference, other than that you might lose or remove the item (and lose access to some spells if you do. That's not well-tested yet, and you might want to try it! Spells should be still in your spellbook but uncastable if your skill level drops below the requirement.)

#245 Post by **hanako** » Mon Apr 04, 2011 11:40 pm

Chunk of files to download in the newest beta, relating to an important event happening in Damien's path... (Which may well crash for people. It's new!)

#246 Post by **hanako** » Sun Apr 10, 2011 1:33 pm

After the most recent update (to March 12) there's probably going to be some delay because, as mentioned in that update, there's an exam coming.

Ellume · #247 Post by **Ellume** » Mon Apr 11, 2011 6:04 pm

I always look forward to another exam update ^_^

sweetdreams · #248 Post by **sweetdreams** » Thu Apr 14, 2011 2:19 pm

btw will there be a special scene after we get all the trophies? or are they just there for 'display'

#249 Post by **hanako** » Thu Apr 14, 2011 3:02 pm

dunno, haven't really dealt with the trophies much at this point, the code's pretty much placeholder.

at the very least the trophy display will get an update eventually so that the list of them looks nicer, it's just not a priority at the moment.

Muse · #250 Post by **Muse** » Fri Apr 22, 2011 7:53 am

I believe I found a small typo. Sorry, I'd submit a save but I forgot how. >>

Anyway, I think there are spaces missing on this line around the 'n':
Donald:
"Logan is doing this thing, and he asked me'n'Luke to round people up for it."

Also, if you accept, Mary Sue calls Logan Luke in a later line. I wasn't sure if they are twins or something (and it was in a scene I didn't get?), or if she just doesn't know them well enough to tell them apart?

#251 Post by **hanako** » Fri Apr 22, 2011 12:51 pm

Stylistic choice there - I'm leaving out spaces to show that he's slurring the names together quite quickly, such that it might actually take the listener a second to realise what he really said rather than it being one weird word.

Luke and Logan are twins, yes, but as they're not major characters in this game that scene is the first time the player might realise that. (Mary Sue, of course, has always known!)

Sorry things are still moving slowly, the current dungeon is more complicated than expected. I have a backlog of scenes written though so when we finally do release a new beta there will suddenly be a huge rush of stuff.

I'm also tending to be short on good ways to earn Cute and Weird points. I don't want to simply offer choices that aren't connected to events ("Would you like, for absolutely no reason, to go out and act cute/weird in public?" is rather bleh), but many of the events I'm writing at the moment are too related to inter-character drama to give good opportunities... If anyone sees events within the second semester where they think an option for more cute/weird would make sense, feel free to make suggestions. I'm not sure it's going to be at all possible to max those stats out without me adding more random stuff.

Ellume · #252 Post by **Ellume** » Fri Apr 22, 2011 4:36 pm

The events where people ask for the main character's opinion on stuff might be a place you could fit in options that get you cute/weird points.

Having the option to go out randomly and do something weird may be a way to gain weird points lol, because that is pretty weird in itself. Like playing imaginary games while walking in the hall coming back from class for something to do. Maybe feeling stiff/bored while studying so decide to go do some kind of exercise with one option being kinda weird.

In a similar idea of doing something out boredom or the desire to do something different from the routine the main character could choose an activity to do and then try to find someone to do it with. So far there are several events where other characters invite Mary Sue to do stuff with them, but Mary Sue rarely comes up with things to invite others to do with her. Could just be stuff like go have a snowball fight, walk around outside, sit and play a game, or snoop around using Spirit Sight to see what you can find (because I probably would do that just to see what I could find lol even if I don't go talk with the stuff). You could have either an activity that others consider weird or Mary's opinion/actions during the activity might give the others the idea that she is cute/weird. This is a fairly involved option to try do, but may be a bit easier to do earlier on in the story?

Well that's all I have off the top of my head. Hopefully it helps in some way. If I think of something else I will let you know.

#253 Post by **hanako** » Fri Apr 22, 2011 4:47 pm

Having the option to go out randomly and do something weird may be a way to gain weird points lol, because that is pretty weird in itself.

It's a balance issue in my mind. If she has the option to suddenly go out and do something weird, unconnected to any event, then she should have that option all the time, shouldn't she? But of course she can't have that option all the time, because that would be boring and make all the other much-harder-to-find weird points feel pointless. So it needs to be connected to something... some kind of reaction to things that are already happening.

Studying while under high stress is a specific situation that might allow for a weird option, though.

Ellume · #254 Post by **Ellume** » Fri Apr 22, 2011 5:05 pm

hanako wrote:Studying while under high stress is a specific situation that might allow for a weird option, though.

Stress over having demerits, stress over relationship confusion, stress over treasurer duties.

Also cute can be a bit abstract too, getting stressed while studying and flopping down on your desk with loud sign might even be viewed as cute to some

Hmm. Mary's reaction to a letter from her family. Reaction to coming across something that strongly reminds her of her former life, maybe in the mall. Reaction to a spirit mini-event. Asking a question in class that is prompted by when a prof does one of there little class talks. Just trying to brainstorm a few ideas

Muse · #255 Post by **Muse** » Sat Apr 23, 2011 5:04 am

hanako wrote:
Having the option to go out randomly and do something weird may be a way to gain weird points lol, because that is pretty weird in itself.
It's a balance issue in my mind. If she has the option to suddenly go out and do something weird, unconnected to any event, then she should have that option all the time, shouldn't she? But of course she can't have that option all the time, because that would be boring and make all the other much-harder-to-find weird points feel pointless. So it needs to be connected to something... some kind of reaction to things that are already happening.

Studying while under high stress is a specific situation that might allow for a weird option, though.

For weird, maybe when you get to pick things like candle scents (if this isn't all ready implemented) you can do ones with wasabi or rotten fish scents, and make have a "freehand" option perhaps (like turning them into eyeballs and frog shapes, etc). I can't remember if there was anything like that all ready, but it's an idea.

So far I haven't mad too much trouble getting cute, though. Less than the others but not as few as weird is.

I suppose another idea is on the Christmas event you can choose a "reply" to the person you connect with. But then again it would change some of it, like, the heartwarming options could be cute, and you can also choose to do stuff like think "frogs are cool".

Anyway, just some ideas of mine to toss out there.